New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BENTON.

BENTON
zee OF THOMAS HART BENTON. by TiE0p sIn
E SS sf, s7a. Gonsnton. Mmin Co.
Mr. Roosevelt has gone at this book with good
Ae.lof the vigor and heat which he has found enect
i've in political campaigns and with the manner OF
+. nonular advocate much oftener than OF man OF
letters We say this by way not of fault finding
Int of description. He Is fond OF broad and general
sfatemcnts for which he does not give his reasons
nj sweeoing censure commentator unhampered
nv details of fact, and OF the most confident judg
ments not only upon the acts of public men but
upon their sincerity and their motives. eexpresses
himself especially with regard to persons. in Ian
Uuare whose vehemence would undou btedly make
a great hit at mass meetings If Calhoun, VanBurcn,
- CLAW Webster, TYLER, and Polk were now running
for Office: but ID does not tit the dignity Oh ni'
tory. For the dignity OF history. however we pre-
sumo that our combativc bIographcr mas very i'''c
resnect. He means to free his mind Mt all events.
benton attracts Mr. Roosevelt under TWO aspects
first "a the representative OF the western spirit Oh
exnonsion and acquisition. and secondly as the
most Gallant of the save-holdIng Democrats VINO
loved the Union better than slavery and fonght the
secessionst principle in their party to their latest
hrea.b The influence of Western ideas upon the
course of national politics during the early part OF
Benton's career is described in this volume with
much force aud Mr.. Roosevelt is right In main
flaming that the schemes for the extension OF our
"manifcst destiny" in the Southwest were most
enthusiastically supported by the adventurous
pioneer class who believed 1t our business to take
all the land We were strong enough to seize, and
who were little concerned about the effects of such
ACQUISITION upon the institution or slavery. lie
undertakes however theiuhuence of;the save-hold-
ers conspiracy IN setting these schemes afoot, and
stimulating the freebooting frontier spirit; and
b,s treatment insistancs as he proceeds with
tho history of political campaigns. that slavery
was not vet an issue in the disputes OF parties
shows that he has paid too much attention 10 ex-
ternal manifestations and too little to the secret
springs of action. But Mr. Roosevelt himself Is
statesman of the Western school. He indicates
this especially IN his remarks upon the Northwest
crn boundary dispute with Great Britain. 10 Is
true that our claim to the territory IN question
was by no means clear but the British title WAS no
better than our own and we ought to have STOOD
out stifly for the whole of demand" "Nofoot
of soil TO which we had any title In the Northwest
and here it will be observed that our author
makes no distinction between an admittedly doubt
ful "claim" and little y should have been
given up; we were the people who could use II
best. and we ought to have taken 1T nil. The prize
was we'll worth winning. and would warrant a
good deal of risk being run. We had even thch
grown to be so strong that we were almost sure
continental supremacy; we were near by our foes
faraway-for the contest Overthe Columbia would
have been settled in Canada. We shoud have had
hard fighting 10 be sure but sooner or later the
result would have been in our favor. There were
no better soldiers in the world than the men OF
Baaclava and Inkerman, but the victors OF Buela
Vista and Chualtapec lsicl We're as good. SCOT
and Taylor were not great generals. but they were
Mt least the equals of Lord Raglan and we did no.
have in our service any such examples OF aonofmai
military inaptitude as Lords Lucan and Cardigan
md their kind" There is a fine flavor OF bounce
nbout this; and 1t is male the more pi0uant by
the fact that Mr. Roosevelt Is continually running
back aud forth between acknowledgment That
the dispute was honorably and reasonably settled,
and regret that did not persevere III our threats
and arrogance until we secured not only the Co
umbIa, but the Red River of the North, the sas-
kalchewan and the Frazer. "less for our own sake
than for the sake of the men who dwell along
their banks"
Benton will be aff,ctionatey remembered IN
the West among the statesmen who were first to
perceive the true interests of taat section,
first to understand their vast importance. and
most Jealous and inlefatigabe in pressing them
as a part of our national poiicy. The other causes
with which his name is associated-honest money.
and the subordination of slavery to the Union
were betrayed by his own party, and he was at last
forced out of public life By the brutal Oligarchy
which had been slowly gathering force all
through his political career, anil was now ready
for ruin There is something noble in the figure OF
the stately old man, defiant and courageous to the
very end and even the sonorous rhetoric Of his last
VOWS to the Union is not without the heroic ring.
He was slow to see whittier his party going;
but at least he coua sacrifice himself in withstand
ing its evil courses.